Winner and loser of the week

Winner of the week: Charlie Crist. Raising an eye-popping $4.3-million for his Republican U.S. Senate campaign, Gov. Charlie Crist surely quelled what had been the growing buzz about the threat from Republican Marco Rubio.

Loser of the week: Carol Browner. For years Lawton Chiles' old Department of Environmental Protection Secretary has been talked about as a potential statwide candidate in Florida. But Browner stuck around Washington instead and now that she's President Obama's energy csar she looks increasingly like a conflicted creature of the beltway: Her husband lobbied for firms pushing to drill near Florida's coast, and now Republican congressman James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin is questioning her transparency amid reports that Browner's people pushed auto executives to "put nothing in writing, ever," as they hammered out plans to increase fuel standards.

Comments

[zenator]

This is a perfect illustration of the media building up and then knocking down a straw man asserting that Crist "quelled what had been the growing buzz about the threat from Republican Marco Rubio." Excuse me.

What threat? Rubio was down 30 points in the initial polls, had low name recognition, had no support from the RPOF, had never run statewide and, with a net worth of less than $8,000, had no personal money to seed his campaign.

Little wonder, that Marco failed to raise much coin. Most major political donors, who contribute early in a primary are pretty savvy and don't back long-shots against a 500 pound gorilla.

[Paul]

It is too bad that you consider Charlie winner of the week, only because his wealthy GOP friends have the money to buy future favors.

Charlie, like Jeb got elected by telling lies and promising the world to Florida voters.

Jebs (Charter schools) failed and hurt public education.

Charlie's ( amendment one) has reeked havoc
upon our communities, school systems and general public programs.

Before we vote, we should remember these promises and take further statements with a grain of salt.

It is time to stop the GOP from buying elected
officials.

[Early Riser]

Crist wins another money war but yesterday in Lee County another secret staw vote(Rubio 71-87% to Crist 11-13%)
Add Pasco County results that were 73-9 and you can see that the people are not with the peoples governor. The RPOF county committees will get Marco's message out and the GOP Super Voters arn't the same as the general election voters. NO MATTER HOW MANY TV/RADIO/MAILERS Crist buys the Republican Primary voter won't be fooled again!!!

[Equalizer]

Browner sounds like the typical elitist fascist that is running this country in the ground.

As for Crist and his supporters embracing Ms. Rodhams mantra of too well connected to fail, it will be interesting to see if the primary voters agree.

[Tampa Bay Conservative]

The Republican primary voter is different from a local member of a county party. Poll after poll statewide shows Crist with a commanding lead over Rubio among Republican primary voters. By any objective measure, Rubio's fund raising totals were simply awful and Crist's were "eye-popping."

[Ho Hum]

Florida would be very fortunate to have Carol Browner back in some meaningful job.
As for Crist, zenator said it all.

[D.C.]

Carol Browner is just trying to get something done in Washington and has succeeded. You're little 'hit' here is like sentencing someone for getting in a traffic accident someone else caused.

People said she would never get a cap and trade pollution emissions control bill through Congress in Obama's first year -- much less introduced and moving through the process. Done and done.

People said she would never get the administration to pick up the Everglades ball and run with it in Obama's first months. That the whole issue was too stale. Not only did she get a group down into the Everglades in airboats (nice job taking credit, Charlie Crist) but Congress has now agreed to fund several gigantic restoration projects that have been sitting on the shelf for more than 10 years as opposed to what appeared to the Florida approach for more than 10 years -- Let's get everyone in Florida just complaining in the media versus demanding that the agreement become reality. Done and done.

The reality of the emissions issue is that Carol did something the Bush administration would not do -- move forward versus letting things sit, and sit, and sit, and sit.

Since the auto industry and the Wall Street Journal will pick apart and blow out of proportion every single memo or email or simple remark as Carol tries to make that happen. So her strategy now is just being smart. More than I can say for Charlie Crist's environmental secretary Michael Sole in Tallahassee, Carol's equal on a state level. Who for God's sake advises a Governor to go ahead and sign the worst water permitting bill in Florida history and then as if that wasn't bad enough he sends out oped's to the media far and wide defending his boss's bad decision! The way they are having to back up from the decision ought to tell them something.

As for Carol, we're glad you're back. You were gone too long.

[This is the winner of the week - a true Republican]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_SENATE_FLORIDA_FLOL-?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-07-10-21-31-06

"Rubio spoke at the annual Florida Society of News Editors/Florida Press Association conference Friday and fully acknowledged his underdog status to Crist, who has raised $4.3 million compared to Rubio's $340,000.

"I have to hope and believe that ideas still matter in American politics. If we live in a country where all you've got to do is raise a lot of money and just run enough commercials to convince people that you're not who they think you are, then we have much bigger problems than me not winning an election," Rubio said. "I hope that principles still matter. I hope that being able to outline a clear vision of the future still matters in America, and if it does, then I'm going to win."

Right on Marco.

[Beaumont]

who cares about the irrelevant and useless Pasco and Lee REC's? These are the same people who were complaining about John McCain and he won the primary big. News to you: Crist will WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe the pasco and lee rec's can pass around an old shoe for Rubio while they're at it. Looks like he really needs the spare change.

[how 'bout them repiggies]

Lee County is the epicenter of Teabagistan. The repiggies there think that Sarah Palin is a brilliant thinker.

It's pathetic and truly heartbreaking to see the repiggies humiliate and abase themselves day after day with their ferocious contempt of education and intelligence.

[john]

Every time Charlie Crist is winner of the week we the citizens of this state are losers of the decade.

[The "Forgotten" People]

Good call, Times... Chuck proving he's a bought tool while Florida sinks ever so quickly into the Gulf of Economic End!

Oh yeah, Chuck's a winner alright... just not for any of us.

[DemsDumpBrowner]

This is a very serious issue with Browner AND the Democratic Party. I am stunned, I tell you!

It is time for the party to represent the people who fund them, and not the appointeds, and electeds who betray us.

This blog is more about Browner. Are the Dems watching? I know that you are.

[beachbum]

Democrat's use of plane prompts GOP-Dorworth, Crisafulli, Horner and Hudson to call for probe: http://bit.ly/17aNi

[Paul D. Harvill]

What do so many people who are considered to be environmentalists end up seeking that other kind of green rather than remaining "green"?

[Anastasia Romonov]

Is it Csar, Tsar or Czar?

[Buzzard.]

Charlie didn't win squat. Ya'll know that. He won't win...or lose...until the election. He HAS, however, earned the reputation as being the politician running for this particular public office that is most beholden, earliest, to a few powerful, big money special interests who want to control him. Him and that Meek feller.

Marco continues to struggle along with his grassroots support, thank you very much. Likewise, the buzz continues, as does the threat.

[*]

Right on Buzzard! My only wish is that people would finally wake up in this state and see that Charlie is "bought and paid for". Yea, he "loves Florida" alright. The most wonderful sight would be seeing him bite it bigtime in the primary. His ability to "ride" into bigger and better jobs needs to stop now.

[Paul]

I wonder why all of these people who call themselves "Conservatives" are always talking about the Mega GOP
money?

Big business and wealthy contributors are their GODS.

They talk out of both sides of their mouths.
And they brag about large contributions as if they don't come with large strings attached.

Do we really want Charlie to go from our worse Governor ever, to a similar status in the U.S. Senate?

[Crist for Senator!]

Sources Say Rubio Reconsidering Senate Race

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Florida. Two Republican sources said today that even as former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio campaigns for retiring GOP Sen. Mel Martinez's Senate seat, he has been calling around to top Republican donors and activists in the state to discuss the idea of switching from the Senate primary against GOP Gov. Charlie Crist and into the open-seat race for attorney general, where a serious Republican candidate has yet to emerge.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

http://www.nationaljournal.com/congressdaily/p_20090715_2565.php